The team !

Vanessa RISPAL

HISA’s Treasurer-Agricuktural Engineer

Vanessa turned towards environmental problems, in particular water pollution, wastes and multi-actors problems that are often typical of conflicts between Man and wildlife. She worked in a study workshop in Madagascar, with national parks and agricultural departments. She travelled in Southern Africa, Southern America, Asia and particularly in Zimbabwe, where she became involved in big carnivores (lions, hyenas) protection. In 2008, she participated in the making of documentaries on conflicts between Man and Animals around Hwange national Park, north west of Zimbabwe.

Jean-Pascal ARNAUD

HISA’s Secretary – Logistician, Jack-of-all-trades

Jean-Pascal is fond of surfing, the ocean and wildlife. He spent a lot of time looking for the ultimate wave in the most remote countries in the world. After a degree in country planning, he followed an eclectic route, through agriculture management in south west of France, a carpenter, or organic nursery item salesman. Now, he is looking for a new direction, and is able to devote more time to HISA and his other passion, photography.

William CROSMARY

HISA’s Conservation Expert – Doctor of biology

William is a specialist in ecology and conservation of large mammals. For the last ten years, he has carried out many field missions in African national parks and in their periphery where human and wildlife live together. He co-authored several articles and reports on the monitoring and status of African wildlife, such as lion populations, and on human wildlife conflict mitigation measures. For three years, William lived in Zimbabwe where he managed in situ the CNRS-CIRAD-Hwange Environmental Research Development programme. During these years, William carried out scientific research about the effects of hunting on the ecology of large herbivores. William also lived some years in Canada where his researches focused on moose populations in the forests of the Québec Province. In 2011, William co-founded HISA with the main goal to work at the conciliation between wildlife conservation and the sustainable development of human communities.

Gaëlle DARMON

Hyper activ membre of HISA – Biologist

As an ecologist, Gaëlle seeks to understand the relationships between wildlife, habitat and human activities. She uses scientific approaches to understand how Nature functions and orientates management and conservation methods thanks to acquired knowledge. Her research aims to define the ecological and human factors, which explain species spatial distribution, inter-relationships between species and their environment, or the role of species in ecosystem natural functioning. In parallel, she studies the human impact on nature and animal species, such as tourism, pollution or management and conservation modes.
Her studies continuously reinforce her conviction and desire to find solutions for harmony between Man and Nature. Gaëlle is interested in different integrative approaches such as participatory science and consultation among stakeholders.
Gaëlle has worked in various contexts, such as mountain environments, boreal forests, or marine environments, all involving various actors of nature.

Tommy GAILLARD

Hyper activ membre oh HISA – Biologist

Young biologist specialized in behavioural ecology, Tommy became enamored of a new passion: enhancing the coexistence between human beings and wildlife. Preserving animal species while meeting the needs of rural populations is a great challenge that is particularly important to him. This determination led him to Zimbabwe where he carried out several field missions in Hwange National Park. His last research work aimed at better understanding the underlying mechanisms of crop-raiding caused by elephants and baboons. It is through this experience that he became aware of some priorities important to consider today. Over the course of the last decades, numerous mitigation measures have been tested to minimize livestock depredation by large carnivores and crop-raiding by primates and large herbivores. Sharing local experiences therefore remains an approach that we shall strengthen in the near future. This urged him to set up the project Coexist with the main objective of enhancing the sharing of coexistence practices amongst local stakeholders throughout the world. He recently joined the HISA team to lead this project. The first step was realized this summer in the Alps during 3 months through France, Switzerland and Italy (see ttps://humanwildcoexist.wordpress.com/).